Monthly Book Pick: The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

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‘The Far Field” is Vijay’s first book and an impressive debut full of thoughtful descriptive language, tales of newfound friendships, and accounts of painful goodbyes. Shalini is thirty years old and following all the steps she needs to take: studying diligently, graduating college, and eventually toiling away at a mediocre desk job.

All of a sudden, her mother commits suicide. Her father, who is distant emotionally and physically, does nothing to save her from the depression that tightens its grip on Shalini day by day. Until one night, as her and her father struggle through one of their weekly dinners, she calls upon a memory of a friend her mother had throughout her childhood and decides to track him down, even venturing into the treacherous mountains of Kashmir.

During her journey, she discovers the importance of community and kinship as she boards with families who are under threat by the corrupt military that stalk the verdant, dewy mountains. Shalini tries her best to give back to the people who helped her on her way, who nurtured her curiosity and wonder and then passed her on to other hosts, but she instead does the opposite and damages a family in a way she can’t mend.

Past and present coincide to create a memoir-like, beautifully crafted piece of fiction.